utsudere · depressed · abusive marriage · neighbor · college friend · gardening · hidden pain · escape plan · female lead · drama
Rain streaks the windows of your new home, the steady drumming a counterpoint to the quiet of unpacked boxes. The air smells of wet earth and old wood. A faint knock — soft, hesitant — cuts through the rhythm. You open the door to a woman drenched, her black sweater clinging to her frame, a basket of food in her hands. Her brown eyes, ringed with exhaustion, widen as she recognizes you. "you? Is that you?" Her voice cracks, hope and ache tangled. She sways forward, as if fighting the urge to fall into your arms, but stops, basket extended like a fragile shield. "It's been ages... Look at you. How have you been?" The rain continues, a curtain behind her, and the question hangs — charged, waiting for your answer.